He said he had gone to the area — known as Gribble Creek — to look for two motorbikes stolen from his home the day before.

The man maintained police had told him to go there because the area was a known dumping ground, and when he arrived he spotted the teenager on one of the bikes and made a "split-second" decision to chase him.

The chase — over about 100 metres — lasted about 25 seconds, with the man's utility reaching an estimated speed of 67 kilometres per hour when he ran over Elijah, who rolled or tumbled under the two-tonne utility.

The man testified he knew he was "too close" to the teenager, but claimed he hit Elijah because the motorbike veered in front of his car, and he could not avoid the collision.

The motorbike smashed into three pieces and Elijah died at the scene after suffering multiple fatal injuries.

The court heard that in the days after the fatality, the man's house was burned down and his wife and two children had been moved out of WA because of concerns for their safety.

The teenager's family, including his mother and grandfather, were in court throughout the trial, but made no comment as they left.

'Walk a mile in our shoes': Indigenous elder

Speaking in Kalgoorlie after the verdict, Mr Donaldson said the man's sentence was "not justice".

"And you wonder why people are angry? There's mothers, brothers, sisters feeling the hurt," he said.